In this edition:
Employment Insurance Commission seeks Niagara employer input
Niagara Police launch program to help retailers combat fraud
Voter turnout hits all-time low for Ontario election
Two visitors now allowed at Niagara Health bedsides
Government of Canada to announce support for business scale-up
Employment Insurance Commission seeks Niagara employer input
On the afternoon of June 8th, the GNCC will host the Commissioner for Employers for the Canadian Employment Insurance Program. The Commissioner’s role is to be the voice of employers for the EI program, and she needs to hear from you! Join us for a free roundtable, share your thoughts, and help shape an EI system that works better for businesses. Contact hugo@gncc.ca for more details and to register.
Niagara Police launch program to help retailers combat fraud
Every year scammers target Canadians, many here in Niagara. The scams often target vulnerable victims. In 2021, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received 104,295 fraud reports from across Canada with associated losses in excess of $379,000,000.
Scammers often direct victims to retail stores to purchase cryptocurrency or gift cards. The victims are under the impression that there is an emergency situation and that they must provide money or payment to the scammer. Scammers often tell the victims that the matter is private and not to talk to anyone.
The Point Sale Scam Intervention Program (POSSIP) has been designed with detectives from the NRPS Central Fraud Unit to create awareness and education for retail and financial institution employees with the goal of providing intervention at the point of sale.
Retailers and financial institutions are encouraged to download the education program for their employees to view. The education program works in conjunction with a NRPS poster to support the employees which is also available for download.
Retailers and financial intuitions are also encouraged to create internal policy regarding scam intervention and refusal of sales to protect victims.
Voter turnout hits all-time low for Ontario election
Voter turnout hit an all-time low in Ontario’s provincial election.
Elections Ontario says about 43per cent of eligible voters cast ballots in Thursday’s contest, down from 57 per cent in 2018.
The agency says 99 per cent of polls have reported, but percentages are rounded to the nearest two decimals and may not add up to 100 per cent.
The 14 per cent drop in voter turnout between 2018 and this year’s election is the second largest in Ontario’s history after 86 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots in 1919 and 58 per cent voted in 1923.
The previous turnout low was 48 per cent in 2011 when Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal Party won a minority government.
Two visitors now allowed at Niagara Health bedsides
Starting today, Friday, June 3, Niagara Health visitor guidelines are increasing to allow two visitors at the bedside at one time for inpatient units, including Labour and Delivery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). There is no change for outpatient, Emergency Department (ED) and Urgent Care Centres (UCC), where patients can continue to bring one person to support them.
Visitors are reminded that masking, screening, and other safety protocols are still in place at hospitals.
Government of Canada to announce support for business scale up in southern Ontario
The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Member of Parliament for Waterloo, on behalf of the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), will make an important announcement in support of business scale up in southern Ontario on June 6 at 11:30 a.m.
Reading Recommendations
As Elon Musk orders Tesla staff back to the office, many tech companies are doing the opposite
CBC News
A sternly worded internal email, apparently sent by Elon Musk ordering Tesla employees to either return to the office or leave, is raising a lot of eyebrows at a time when employees are increasingly seeking flexible work arrangements.
In a screenshot of the email, shared on Twitter, the richest man in the world warns employees at his electric car company that remote work is no longer acceptable.
Musk replied to the leaked email on Twitter and said people who think coming into work is antiquated “should pretend to work somewhere else.”
The hard-line approach on working arrangements from the controversy-prone billionaire, who once tweeted “the coronavirus panic is dumb,” strongly contrasts against how some other CEOs — particularly those in the tech and startup world — are handling this latest phase of working in a pandemic. New research also suggests it’s something employees value as much as a raise, and that it could even contribute to diversity in the workplace.
Retailers fear another hike in milk prices will set off a chain reaction
Financial Post
The federal body in charge of Canada’s milk supply is facing pressure to raise prices for a second time this year to help dairy farmers cope with inflation.
The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) — a Crown corporation that controls the “farm-gate” price that farmers receive for their milk — instituted a major increase in February. But farmers say it isn’t enough to cover unprecedented spikes in the cost of livestock feed, fuel and fertilizer.
Retailers fear another farm-gate increase will set off a chain reaction through the Canadian food system. The big dairy processors — which pay the farm-gate price for milk and turn it into cheese, yogurt and cream — will want to pass the extra cost onto retailers. From there, it’s up to retailers to decide whether they will accept the processors’ price increase, and then either absorb the added cost or raise consumer prices.
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
